American International College and the Communications department have welcomed a new major to the curriculum this semester.

Professor John Nordell has planned the Visual and Digital Arts major that includes several new courses to be enrolled in the academic catalog this year.

Visual and Digital Arts (VDA) will provide students with the opportunity to express their artistic vision with the use of multimedia and digital technology skills.

Expanding from a core of a liberal arts course, the program covers an eye for history of art and cultivates a multicultural perspective as the foundation to student’s creative efforts. This program also offers creative enrichment in various digital formats, including digital photography, video production, graphic design, video production, graphic design, video design, and animation.

Nordell noted that not will students discover a new way to “think outside the box” they will also be challenged to tap into their creative niche, with numerous opportunities to gain hands-on experience with the latest technology innovations.

“I want students to gain the real world experience needed to apply their creative skills to a variety of cultural, educational, corporate, and non-profit settings,” explained Nordell.

Already, students are enrolled in Cultivating Creativity and Digital Storytelling classes that are the foundation of the new major.

School of Business, Arts and Sciences Dean Susanne Swanker said the VDA major should be a great fit for creative and technical students.

“AIC is excited to offer a major that prepares students for the creative opportunities that continue to emerge in our increasingly digital world. Working closely with faculty and gaining hands-on experience with the latest digital technologies, the program prepares students to go beyond ‘thinking outside the box,’ to actually creating the box itself!” said

Similar to any other Communication major, students are entailed to take the general education courses in addition to other concentrated core classes. These core classes include a focus on cultivating creativity, art history, drawing, painting, and sculpture. In addition, other requirements for the major include graphic design, digital storytelling, video production, digital photography and entrepreneurial skills.

For those students interested in a future career in advertising/publishing, corporate communication/public relations, educational/cultural institutions or film and photography outlets, this major may be for you.

“I see VDA as an important major for those students who want to combine hands on art making with the primary focus on using digital tools,” explained Professor Nordell.

“With a world saturated with images, I want students to become these image makers. In the major they will study the fundamentals of visual communication and learn the digital tools to become these image creators,” he concluded.

As the communication expands the horizons in a steadfast educational environment, Visual and Digital Arts is a course that we hope can catch the attention of prospective students, and even current ones as well.